The Wall of Fame
by mabelreid
Summary: One shot Rossi discovers a new cadet in the shooting range who believes she'll never shoot as well as a certain genius profile, and he shares a story with her from years ago when SSA Dr. Reid was not so proficient with a gun. Spoilers alert for "LDSK," just in case you haven't seen it.


_**Disclaimer: see my profile**_

_**A/n this takes place in the six month gap between "Truth or Dare," and the upcoming season fifteen. Spoilers for LDSK. **_

SSA David Rossi strode purposefully down the narrow stairway to the first floor of Quantico's main building. He turned left and then right into a hallway outside the armory and the gun range. The faint sound of gunfire began to explode into his awareness with the pops and snaps of different caliber weapons. He heard and saw an instructor barking out orders and could detect the odor of discharged gunpowder and singed metal.

"Hey, Rossi, what're you doing down here in the middle of the day. The BAU not keeping you busy."

Dave glanced over at SSA Baxter and his group of cadets and smirked. "Even profilers have to practice once in a while."

"Look out, boys and girls," Baxter shouted over the increasing noise from the curious recruits. "He's been here forever and knows all the tricks."

Dave shook his head and continued until he entered the armory. He put on the ear and eye protection and grabbed a box of ammo for his weapon. He turned left at the door and down another hallway to a huge room that housed the indoor gun range. A long line of cubicles met his eyes as he entered and saw that only two people were in the range. One, a familiar figure crouched and removed a gun from his ankle holster, rose to his feet and emptied his weapon into the target, all in one smooth motion and with results that made Rossi grin. The other figure was female and unfamiliar to Rossi. She turned away from her position watching his teammate and stopped in her tracks when she saw him watching her.

"Hello, Cadet."

"Sir," she snapped to attention as Dr. Spencer Reid turned and noticed her.

"Cadet Webster."

"Um, I'm sorry – I was just – um," The young blonde, blue-eyed recruit turned crimson and backed away. "I'll go."

"No," Rossi said kindly. "Stay."

"Yes, sir."

"We have a case, or are you here to practice," Reid asked Rossi.

"Here to practice, and it looks like I'm going to need it. You bucking for a second perfect score next year."

"Helps me think," Reid said and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm done."

He laid aside his ear protection, crouched to tuck his clutch piece in his ankle holster, then reached for his primary weapon, a revolver and returned it to the holster around his waist.

"Don't let me chase you away."

Reid smiled, but it was the smile of a man who'd seen too much, and Rossi almost asked if his friend were okay, but then Reid said, "See you in the bullpen, Rossi."

"Yeah."

"Cadet," Reid said with a nod and then he was gone.

"Wow," said Cadet Webster. "I saw his picture on the wall of fame, but I never thought I'd see him in person. He's amazing."

"He's had years of practice, Cadet."

"Yes sir," her shoulders slumped, and she turned for the door.

"Cadet?"

"Yes sir," she turned and once more stood at attention.

"Easy, I only wanted to ask why you think you'll never learn to shoot."

She gaped at him, then shut her mouth, "Oh, um, I didn't – well, you see - oh, it doesn't matter."

Rossi almost laughed because this young woman who was about five-foot-tall and couldn't weight more than one hundred pounds soaking wet, looked like she was about to cry. She reminded him a bit of Reid when he first met him in that she lacked a bit in confidence.

"Have you talked to SSA Llewellyn?"

"Yes, but she lectures about the mechanics of shooting. I know how to shoot, but I always miss the target. I don't know what I'm doing wrong."

"You're not the only one that struggled to learn to shoot. If you like, I can tell you a story about a young agent who couldn't hit the broad side of a barn."

Cadet Baxter rolled her eyes. "I _doubt_ there's anyone worse than me."

Rossi grinned and gestured to a long bench bolted to one end of the room. "I wasn't here when this story happened, but a good friend told me about it. It begins with the agent in question failing his certification three times in one year."

"Really."

"Yes, and his Unit Chief was former SWAT."

"Seriously," said Webster with doubt coating her observation.

"Seriously," Rossi repeated, gravely. "The young agent was humiliated because he couldn't carry a gun. Then one day on a case, he was taken hostage with his Unit Chief, and a hospital ER full of innocent people, by an LDSK."

"What's that?"

"In this case, he was a man who wanted to be a cop but was rejected. To make a long story short, the young agent was able to get to his unit chief's ankle holster and he shot the LDSK right between the eyes, killing him instantly, and saving the lives of all those people. He claimed he was aiming for the man's leg. Later, he told me that up until then, he lacked the will to take the shot."

"You think I lack the will to take the shot," Cadet Webster asked, with insult in her eyes.

"Yes," Rossi said. "I think you do."

Webster opened her mouth, then swiped at tear-filled eyes. "I shouldn't be here," she said. "I should tell my trainer that I quit."

"Because you don't want to kill anyone?"

Webster gaped open-mouthed at Rossi. "Yeah," she said hoarsely. "I want to help people, not kill them."

"Good," Rossi said and nodded. "If you wanted to kill them you wouldn't be here right now. The FBI doesn't need sociopaths out for blood on the payroll, Cadet."

"Then what do I do."

"I'll tell you the three things that Dr. Reid's boss told him almost fifteen years ago. "One, he did what he had to do, two, he saved a lot of lives that day, and three, he was proud of him."

"The agent was SSA Reid," asked Webster with wide, unbelieving eyes.

"Yes. There was a time when he couldn't shoot worth a damn and it bothered him greatly. "

"What if I can't learn to shoot."

"You can, but that' s not what you're concerned about."

She stared at him and her hands began to shake. "How do you – "

"I'm a profiler that's seen hundreds of cadets come through this training. Some of them wash out, some of them burn out, and some of them become amazing agents that save the lives countless others, and I don't mean by killing the bad guy."

"I think I understand," Cadet Webster said. "I just don't want to like it."

"No one in this building wants to enjoy killing, Webster."

"Did – um, do you know if – um, I –"

"SSA Reid hates taking lives, but he's come to understand that sometimes, there's no other way. Webster, all you can do is your best. Pay attention to all of your instructors, do as they tell you and you'll be an excellent addition to the FBI."

"Yes sir," she stood and there was a new stiffness in her stance that made Rossi smile.

"Now, why don't you put on your goggles, and ear protection. We'll both shoot a clip and I'll bet you'll see what I mean.

CMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCM

"So, what happened after that," Emily asked as they relaxed on the jet after the end of a case three days later.

"I noticed her staring at the Wall of Fame after I finished the practice. She saw me watching and she turned as red as Spencer used to do in the old days. I told her to go get some sleep as it was late, and I know that they had exams the next day. She wanted to ask me if my story were true, but instead, she left.

"I wasn't here when it happened, but Reid told me about it. He said that Morgan gave him a whistle when he failed to recertify."

"Sounds like Derek," Rossi said and shook his head.

"I asked Morgan about it and he admitted to it and said that he'd always felt bad about teasing him so much in the beginning. Then he said that Reid tossed the whistle back at him after the standoff in the hospital and it made him proud to know this skinny white guy with the giant intellect."

Rossi chuckled a bit, then glanced over to where Reid was stretched out on the bench, asleep. "I'm proud to know him, too.


End file.
